Rail-joint.



HAIL JOINT.

(Application med Feb. 25. 190s.)

(Nuo llosl.)

ma ncmms mi@ co., mUraLlTNc.. wAsHmaT Patented Dec. A2, |902.

UNTTED STATES PATENT Ormes.

KOBY KOlIN, OF LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 714,919, dated December2, 1902.

Application flled February 25| 1902. Serial No. 95,698. (No modal.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, KOBY KOI-IN, a citizen of -the United States,residing at Lincoln, Lancaster county, State of Nebraska, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Myinvention relates to rail-joints, and has for its object to improvethe construction thereof; and it consists in a rail-joint having thefeatures of construction and arrangement of parts, substantially ashereinafter more particularly set forth.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a transversevertical section showing a rail with the parts making the rail-joint inposition. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of a fish-plate, and Fig. 3 is aperspective View of a modified form of sh-plate embodying my invention,and Fig. 4 is a cross-section showing a modification.

In my application, Serial No. 86,663, filed DecemberZO, 1901, I haveshown and broadly claimed an improved rail-joint construction, one ofthe distinguishing features of which includes a fish plate or plateshaving lateral wedge-like flanges, which are adapted to cooperate withflanges on the base-plate or su pport for the rail; and my presentinvention relates to the same general character of railjoints andconsists in improvements in the details of construction and arrangementof the parts.

My improved rail-joint is intended to be usedin connection with anysuitable rail, and, as shown, A represents an ordinary T-rail, having ahead l with inclined or beveled under faces 2 2 and bottom flanges 3 3with inclined upper faces, the bottom and head being connected by a webportion A.

At the point where the adjacentends of the two rails are joined it isusual to provide some sort of a base to support the ends of the rails,and in the present instance the base C is made up of two separateplates, as C' C2, although, of course, my present improvements may beused with a base made up of a single plate, as illustrated in my priorapplication. These plates C C2 are each provided with a rib. or upperextension 7, which exten- `ing surface of the flange S.

sion is bent laterally to form a flange 8, and this is preferablyinclined upwardly from the base of the plate, so that the under portionsor bearing-surfaces of the flanges S are upwardly inclined, as shown.

So far the construction is substantially the same as in my priorapplication except as to the direction of the inclination of the flanges8 and that the base in this instance is made up of two separate platesinstead of one channeled plate, and it is apparent that either form ofbase or any other substantially equivalent form may be used inconnection with my improved fish-plates.

The fish-plates B B, as shown, are provided with inclined upper edges b,adapted to bear against the faces 2 of the heads of the rails, and withside flanges B', having inclined lower faces b, adapted to bear againstthe upper inclined faces of the flanges 3 of the rails, and they areheld in place by bolts 5, passing through openings in the fish-platesand in the webs A of the rails. The flanges B are so formed that when inposition they have a Wedge-like action tending to secure the baseplatesto the bases of the rails. In the form shownin Fig. 2 the flange B isupset or bent upward to give a wedge-like section throughout a portionof its length, as shown at B2, while in the form shown in Fig. 3 thereare a series of upset portions B3, separated from each other. The upsetportions are, as shown in Figs. l

to 3, so formed that their upper surfaces incline upwardly toward thefish-plate, the angle of inclination being the same or substantially thesame as that of the under or bear- The angle of inclination of thebearing-surfaces of the flanges S and the upset portions of the flangesB' is, however, not as great as that of the surfaces h', which engagethe inclined faces of the railflanges 3, although such inclinations havethe same general directionthat is, upwardly. The extremities or legsproper of the flanges are preferably bent downward and curved slightly,as at b2, although thisis notamaterial feature ofthe construction. Theseflanges may be formed in any suitable way, as by casting or pressing thematerial of theffish -plates into the desired form.

It will thus be seen that 10o duces the same general effectin securingthe parts of the rail-joint together.

When the parts are in the positions shown in Fig. 1, it will be seenthat the extremities of the legs or iianges bear upon the iianges 3- ofthe rails and conform substantially thereto, while the upset portion B3has a surface conforming substantially to the inner surface of theflanges 8 of the base portions. It will thus be seen that when thescrew-bolts 5 or other equivalent devices for holding the fishplates inposition are tightly adjusted a sort of double wedge-like action isproduced as the leg portions of the anges bear on the tops of the sideflanges of the rails and the upper parts of the upset portions of theflanges bear on the inturned flanges of the base portions and tend todraw the parts tightly together, and the more tightly the bolts 5 arescrewed the stronger is the wedge-like action, tending to hold the partstogether.

It is not necessary that the wedge-like portions of the fish-plate shalloccupy a position p with the upper faces inclined inward and downward.As shown in Fig. 4E, they may be nearly horizon tal, yet have awedge-like action, and the parts 8 may be inclined upward, as shown inFig. 4, while there is a wedge-like effect, as the channels or openings,

Abetween the base-flanges of the rail, and the overhanging parts 8 aremore contracted at the points o o than at the outer portions. Ifrequired, the parts S may be made thin enough to spring upward to theposition shown in Fig. 4L, occupying,r a. nearly horizontal positionbefore the fish-plates are applied.

It is to be understood, of course, that the rail-jointis secured to therail-ties in any suitable manner, (not necessary to be illustrated'herein,) and it will be seen also that the improved ish-plates andbase-plates can be readily applied to the rails in a manner wellunderstood by those skilled in the art. The

fact that the base is in two portions or plates instead of one channeledplate enables the present embodiment of the invention to be more readilyapplied to rails already in position. I l l While I have thus describedand shown ni'y improvement in one embodiment or construction, it is tobe understood that the details of construction may be varied by thoseskilled in the art, so as to adapt my invention for use in differentpositions and connections.

Without limiting myself to the precise construction shown, what I claimisl. The combination with the abutting rails of a railway, of a basehaving fianges, and sh-plates provided with flanges having upsetvportions to coperate with the flanges of the base, and exert a lateralwedge-like action upon the flanges of the rail and base, substantiallyas described.

2. The combination with the abutting rails of a railway, and with a baseextending beneath the same and provided with overhanging flanges, offish-plates provided with lateral flanges, different portions of theflanges being in different planes to cooperate respectively with theflanges of the rails and base and exert a lateral' wedge-like actionthereon,

substantially as described.

3. The combination with the abutting rails of a railway, and with 'abase extending beneath the same and provided with overhanging flanges,of fish plates having lateral flanges, the end portions of the flangesbeing inclined, and other portions being 'also inclined but at adifferentangle, said inclined portions coperating respectively with theflanges of the rail and the base and exerting a lateral wedge-likeaction thereon, substantially as described.

4. The combination with the abutting'rails of a railway, and with afbase extending beneath the same and provided with overhanging flanges,of fish plates having lateral fianges, portions of which havebearing-surfaces in two separate planes, tocoperate respectively withthe anges of the rail and base and exert a lateral wedge-like actionthereon, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification inthepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

KOBY KOI-IN.

Witnesses:

I. WEssEL, E. F. SWANBERG.

